Category: News

Prospective homebuyers will be feeling the pinch as mortgage rates rise, especially as prices in Toronto hit new record highs. Prospective Westonites stand to benefit, though: prices in Weston are still substantially below the district and city averages, and growth in prices is slow.

According to the Toronto Real Estate board, last month the average home in Weston’s district sold for $318,000. This is up only slightly from $313,000 in April of 2009. Weston is still much cheaper than neighbouring areas; in western Toronto (including Weston), the average home sold for $404,000: 27% more than here. The average home in all of Toronto sold for $373,000: 17% more.

In what may be a sign that few people know about Weston, homes here sell more slowly than elsewhere. Local real estate spent an average of 31 days on the market, far more than the average of 22 in the western district and 21 for Toronto as a whole.

Despite homesellers’ wait, many more properties did sell compared to last year. 104 homes changed owners in sector W04, compared to only 54 in April of last year. This is likely due to the terrible economic uncertainty of early 2009.

There is a downside, of course, to the affordable real estate in Weston. Those looking to sell their homes here are unable to capitalize on the large price increases the rest of Toronto has seen.

Metrolinx will soon tell us how much progress they have made studying electric trains.

Metrolinx and GO Transit have been studying the possibility of electrifying their part of the transit system since January. The final report should be finished by the end of the year, and the progress report will be delivered on Thursday, May 27th from 7:00 pm until 9:30 p.m. at the Lithuanian House, 1573 Bloor Street West. Everyone is welcome.

Electrifying would eliminate the diesel pollution from the forthcoming Blue 22 and increased Georgetown GO service. These services are set to put as many as several hundred more daily trains through Weston. Lobbying from concerned residents and the Weston Community Coalition has already forced the provincial government and Metrolinx to make several concessions, but they have resisted full electrification.

Weston’s wonderful Farmers’ Market opened for the season today. Several old favourites were back–Ken’s Back Bacon Sandwiches, Thames River Melons and The Egg Man put in appearances–and there was at least one promising new addition: The Pie Man from Pie Land.

The Pie Man has fantastic Trinidadian beef, chicken and potato pies and wonderful desserts–highly recommended by my entire family. Ken’s sandwiches smelled as wonderful as usual, but he didn’t bring his usual entourage of sous-chefs and assistants this weekend. The Egg Man has an excellent new trailer, larger and better than the one he had last year.

Saturday was a quiet start to what is sure to be another fantastic season.